Jaygak remained silent, falling deep into thought. ‘Am I allowed to deal with this?’

  t Eaglewing smiled politely towards the Iyrman. His short hair was stark white and made him appear older than he was, even though his wrinkles were barely seen. Like most nobility, the t had learnt the martial ways, but the differeween Eaglewing and other nobility was his close retionship with the Order of Eagle Wing.

  ‘He is roughly a Grandmaster,’ Jaygak recalled, studying the t from this close up. Even now she could see the way he carried himself, rexed within his estate, but not quite rexed to allow a bde to stick through his throat. Jaygak’s bde remained within arm’s reach, resting against the table to the side, far enough away the guards would have ample time to see her grab her bde a accly.

  “That would depend on what the exactly order of business would be,” Jaygak eventually replied.

  “A Greater Enhanced bde, one which would spark to life with fire,” the t replied.

  Jaygak remained silent for a long moment, waiting for him to give more details. “That could be arranged, depending on the payment offered.”

  “Though the war has emptied the coffers of other towns within our fair try, the coffers of Eagle Wing have yet to be emptied. The payment I offer will be more than appropriate.”

  “Then I am assured that for the appropriate offer there will be an appropriate magical on of appropriate strength to be sent after an appropriate amount of time.”

  “Ten thousand gold.” t Oscar could see the rising pyfulness in the Iyrman’s eyes, the mischief which sparkled shtly.

  “Our business requires half upfront, and we require the rest of the half before delivery.”

  “The payment will be sent upon delivery.”

  “You may procure your ons elsewhere if our terms are unsuitable.”

  “Will you not sider my heritage?”

  Jaygak’s lips formed a wider smile upon hearing the t’s words. “Why does the United Kindom o sider the heritage of Aldishme works upon the Iyr’s nds?”

  “The Iyr’s nds which have been protected by the blood of our people for millennia?”

  Jaygak’s lips formed a wife smile. “The Iyr’s nds which have been protected by spilling the blood of your people for millennia.”

  “The stories of the Iyr’s are always of great joy to listen to.”

  “In the Iyr, our history are our stories,” Jaygak began, calming her heart. “In Aldnd, our stories are fables.” She leaned back, sitting taller, prouder. “Before I was born, my grandaunt’s stories were cut short in Aswadasad. It was around that time when other stories were born in Aldnd. When you were a child, you must have heard them, the tales of our Iyrmen.”

  “Your Chief’s tales are well known in Aldnd.”

  “The stories of reat Elders were written in blood,” Jaygak stated. “Drakebane. Deathhand. Wildheart.”

  “Mad Dog,” the t added, recalling the hat oken among them. “There were many Iyrmen who had made names for themselves, but those from my time know of those four in particur. Drakebane, who slew draic beings as though it were the fashion of the age. Deathhand, who painted with blood so effortlessly. Wildheart and Mad Dog, both who were so ravenous to fight. Wildheart was near ued, aed many of the legends I grew up hearing about.”

  t Oscar sipped his wine, narrowing his eyes towards the girl. “The Kid. Undying. Mad Dog. An Iyrman who did not know when to step back. An Iyrman who was defeated again and again, until one day, stories of him defeating, and sying, all manner of nobles and legends began to spread like wildfire.” ‘He even overshadows greater figures, like the Duteous, and the Bearded Dragon…’

  “Stories of the Iyr,” Jaygak replied.

  “I have no doubt that your people are great, who could deny the strength of the Iyr, but there are few Iyrmen who have reached such heights as those four. For every Drakebahere is an Eagle, a Bck Hawk, a Golden Hand.” It was only upon seeing Jaygak’s smirk that the t realised why those names came to him first, for the rumours were that the Mad Dog had defeated them all. “We have Rain Bde, Gold Bde, Bck Bde, and so many more. Even if one siders the Grand anders of all the orders, the Viaoo, even if the Iyr possesses two hundred Grandmasters, and a handful of Paragons, Aldnd possesses a far greater number.”

  “There are many great warriors all across Aldnd, from North Amber, all the way to Jaghi, all the way to West Fort, all the way to Red Oak, all the way to Eagle Wing, all the way to East Port.”

  t Oscar remained silent, trying to uand Jaygak’s point. She was admitting to him that Aldnd possessed great warriors from all across the nd, a, somehow, her tone suggested the Iyr was superior.

  “You speak of Aldnd’s greatness, but the United Kindom is familiar with many great warriors of the Iyr. My grandaunt, Fme Brand Gangak, is a great warrior, what one might sider a Grandmaster. Executive Kitool, who is esc the Prince, her grandaunt, Shaool, is one of the Ten Paragons.” Jaygak smiled as the t’s brows twitched in surprise. “Executive Jurot, who remains to watch over the Ray, is the grandson of Mad Dog.”

  Oscar khat much, sihe tattoo on his forehead said as much, but he had no idea that the devilkin girl before him was reted to someone so powerful, nor that the other Executive, the quiet Kitool, was reted to a Paragon. ‘So three of the Executives of the business are filled with the heirs of such great families?’

  Jaygak could see the way the t was suddenly calg the matters within his head, certainly taking the wrong impression from her words. She had no doubt that the Aldishman had no idea that her family, the Gak family, was sidered one of the weakest across the entire Iyr. ‘That’s right, even we of the Gaks, the weakest in the Iyr, ot be threatened by just a t!’

  Ohe matter was resolved, Jaygak returo escort the Prince, only to be informed that the group were spending the day in Eagle Wing too.

  Jurot and Rook repced Kitool and Jaygak the m, allowing them to rex the day.

  “Greater Enhanced for ten thousand?” Adam replied, rubbing his while Jaygak assisted the devilkin children with their lunch. “It should be fine, I guess.”

  “The t paid the entire upfront.”

  “Did you bully him?”

  “Just a little.”

  Adam inhaled sharply, before g Jaygak’s forearm. “Good.”

  ‘How much disdain does he have for nobles?’ Jasmihought, gng between the group as they ate. Without the dragon there, her heart was at ease. She uood the dragon had probably guessed her identity, especially if the Prince had mao identify her. It was then she caught Vasera’s eyes, the half dragon nodding her head gently, causing Jasmio return a nod of her head. Jasmine’s heart quickly began to beat once more, just realising the third figure who could have figured her out.

  “Hey, why are you keeping Alya and Asya so close to you?” Adam asked, narrowing his eyes towards Jaygak.

  “They’re more fortable with me.”

  “How they be more fortable with you?”

  “It’s because we have horns, don’t we?” Jaygak said, reag down to tickle the twin girls’ hently. The girls squirmed slightly, before smiling up towards Jaygak, mumbling in Vilspeech.

  “Hey, that’s not fair!”

  “Karim,” Jaygak called before saying something in Vilspeech, causing the boy to chuckle lightly, looking towards Adam, befng up towards Bil.

  “Hey now, what did you say?”

  Jaygak smirked.

  “Kitool, how she do this to me?” Adam asked. “Does she think I won’t beat her up?”

  “If you tio behave this way, I won’t praise you in front of Kavgak,” Jaygak said.

  Adam inhaled deeply. “Just you wait until we get bad I talk with Jibaby.”

  “I’ll steal her from you first.”

  “Kitool, how she say this?” Adam asked, mimig his troublesome daughter, even with his broointing with his entire hand.

  ‘He’s really an idiot,’ the Viander and Prihought.

  The day in Eagle Wing passed ufully, before the group made their way south. As they approached the fort to the south of Eagle Wing, the walls of heavy stone raised upe mounds, with a rge V shaped ditch cirg around it. The fort was hexagonal in shape, with small towers at each point, and pared to the new forts being made towards the Iyr, this fort was worthy of the title.

  The guards here were as eager as the guards in Eagle Wing, though the presence of the Viander and the Ray allowed them smooth entry. The Iyrmen acted normally, that was to say, they were slyly judging the fort.

  ‘Eagle Wing must have had greater influen this fort,’ Kitool thought, gng around to hat the soldiers stationed here were adorned in the armour of Eagle Wing, while their Captains were each from the nobility of East Wing.

  “I swear this road wasn’t here,” Adam said as they drove along the new road, which was as wide as the previous roads, though the stones cobbled together were far smaller, the size of a fist rather than the size of a bull’s head.

  “Eagle Wing works swiftly,” Jurot replied.

  “They made this road?”

  “They started and fi st year,” Jurot firmed.

  “I have to admit it’s a little embarrassing to hear that…” Adam was surprised to see how quid effective Aldnd was iing whatever it needed, not quite as quick as the Iyr, but faster than his civilised modern try from his first life. ‘Damn.’

  The sed fort was not quite as impressive, built slightly further away than a typical day’s journey, was more like the outpost built towards the vilges. It was here the Viander watched the group tinue on, not southward, but westward, veering slightly north, towards the other minor fort, following the newly built road. She had expected them to go southward, towards the vilge, not towards the other minor fort.

  “Phew, finally…” Adam inhaled deeply ohey had left, a out an equally deep sigh. “I half expected her to follow us. Actually, I fully expected her to pick a fight.”

  “They must have received word of our frontation with the Order earlier this year,” Jurot said, though he hadn’t expected the Order members to pick a fight anyway. “They are zealous in their duty, but they fight threats as a small army, not as handful of warriors sent to deal with two demons.”

  “Yeah?” Adam realised he didn’t know much about the orders, just bits and pieces. ‘I should study Aldnd more, just in case…’

  As the group tinued back to the business, Jasmine tio ponder Morkarai’s words. It was only upon seeing Adam finally step forward that she uood what Morkarai had meant.

  “Isn’t the fort meant to be dealing with threats like this?” Adam asked, swinging his axe in front of him as he stretched out his muscles. “Si’s undead, I kill it, right?” ‘Damn it. We’re almost home and you’re b me? You’re c death.’

  “Yes,” Jurot replied, strapping his own shield, readying himself.

  In front of the group floated several creatures, one full of bck death, the others a deep blue, reeking with the stench of death. The bck creature was rger and thicker, domineering over the deep blue strands whied vague humanoid shapes.

  “I thought wraiths were a Northern thing?”

  “It is far south,” Jurot admitted. It was rare to see sudead so close to the Iyr’s nd, only the mindless skeletoypically so fearless.

  The wraith reached out a finger and beed them closer. The soft raspy breath filled the air. It spoke words of an aongue long lost to man.

  “Do you know what it said?”

  “No.”

  “If I allow you to fight, will you give me its core?” Karza asked, grinning wide.

  “If you wish to fight, you may, but tig them with yhtning will only assist so much,” Jaygak teased.

  Karza frowned. “Even if my lightning only tickles them, it will still harm them.”

  “You know, sider how much trouble I thought you were going to be, it should be okay for us to-,”

  “Adam,” Jurot called, readying himself as the mass of undead spectres charged towards them, the wraith floating behind them.

  Battle OrderD20 + 1 = 6 (5)

  We're getting close to the best arc!